Grant worth almost half a million pounds secured for environmental work in the county

East Sussex County Council has scooped £478,423 from the government’s £1 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme which provides grants for public sector bodies to fund energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation measures.

The council say grant funding will be used by the council to produce feasibility studies and decarbonisation of heat plans, and to install low carbon heating and solar panels with battery storage on several corporate buildings.

Lead member for resources Councillor Nick Bennett, said, “This government grant is great news for our work to reduce the council’s carbon footprint and will help build on our success over recent years.

“Since 2008/9, we have reduced our own direct carbon emissions by 60 per cent but we need to do much more. Securing this funding for feasibility studies and pilot projects is invaluable in informing the rollout of further measures across more council buildings as we strive to achieve our net zero carbon goal.”

In October 2019 the council declared a climate emergency and set a target of achieving carbon neutrality from its activities as soon as possible and in any event by 2050, in line with the new target for the UK agreed by Parliament the same year.

Councillor Bennett said, “The benefits of reducing our carbon footprint are clear – cleaner air, less fuel poverty, healthier lifestyles and more efficient businesses.

“Reducing carbon emissions from heating is the next big challenge. As a council, we need to generate more of our electricity through on-site renewables and continue to invest in energy efficiency measures, which reduce energy demand and improve the comfort of our schools and offices.

“The action we must take, as an organisation and as individuals, is only just beginning.”

The projects will be delivered by the council’s property energy, maintenance and climate emergency teams working with consultants and contractors.

Part of the funding will also be used to enable the council’s first pilot decarbonisation of heat project at a primary school in Battle.

The improvements made as part of the decarbonisation of heat project at Ninfield Primary School will include the replacement of old oil boilers with more efficient air source heat pumps and battery storage, the installation of improved insulation throughout the school, and upgrading lighting to low energy LED lights.

The pilot project will help create an environmentally efficient learning environment that will see CO2 emissions cut by an estimated 43 per cent, energy bills and maintenance time reduced, building comfort improved, and the health and safety risks associated with the delivery and storage of liquid fuels removed.

It is anticipated that the school decarbonisation of heat project will start this summer.